Month: June 2017

Good Foods, Bad Foods and How They Affect Your Health

In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it reports that if you eating the right foods in the right amounts, your risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes could be cut in nearly half.

That’s pretty impressive, but what does “eat right foods” mean? It turns out that “sub-optimal” diets are the undeniably cause in the development of illnesses. So, that being said, if you’re at a loss for what is good for you and what’s really not here are some food and/or dietary components that affect your health the most.

Vegetables

Fruits

Soybean and corn oils

Processed and unprocessed meats

Omega-3 fats

Sugary drinks

Seafood

Grain, nuts and seeds

Eat More Of These Foods For Optimal Health

In most US family’s meals consist of protein (meat), vegetables such as potatoes or corn, grains including bread, rice or pasts, and salad and often desert.

That’s not all bad, but consider portion size, too many people get too much of a good thing. For better results consider:

3 pieces of fruit a day

2 cups of cooked or 4 cups of raw veggies per day

5 one ounce servings of nuts or seeds per week (about 20 nuts per serving)

8 ounces of clean wild caught seafood weekly

Meat and Seafood For Your Health

Protein is necessary for good health, but serving sizes are critical because your body can only use so much. Excess protein requires your body to rid itself of excess nitrogen waste from your blood, stressing your kidneys, and may lead to dehydration. Most people eat twice as much meat as they need, and how it’s cooked is another factor also.

Also processed meats, including bacon, salami, pepperoni, ham, pastrami, hot dogs, some sausages and hamburgers, are now classified as carcinogenic (along with tobacco and asbestos).

Regarding seafood, once what was considered good for you is now potentially toxic, including shrimp and tuna. Fish farming operations and mercury contamination are all factors to consider when choosing seafood.

Omega-3 Fats, Nuts and Seeds

Almonds

Omega-3 comes from both animal and plant sources. The primary animal sources are krill oil and fish oil which provide EPA and DHA, which are heart protective.

Healthy nuts and seeds, are great snacks and contain healthy fats, fiber, protein, antioxidants and minerals and are great for your heart and may even help control your weight.

Eating raw seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower seeds, have a high level of good fats and oils, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost your immune system, fight free radicals and benefit your heart and immune system.

Not Enough Fruits and Too Much Soda

Sliced Apple

Fruits offer many vitamins, enzymes and minerals, but should be eaten in moderation due to fructose content. Drinking fruit juices with added sugars does not provide the same benefits as eating whole fruit.

Soda and processed foods contain HFCS (High Frutose Corn Syrup). This is linked not only to weight gain, but to diabetes, insulin resistance and leptin resistance.

The best recommendation for fructose is 25 grams per day from all sources and 15 grams a day if you are diabetic.

I’m Shirley Noah, I teach the 9 Pillars for Health. A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.

Is Your Flaxseed Rancid?

Fresh flaxseed oil clear, golden-yellow color free of cloudiness. Flaxseed oil might contain particulates of ground flaxseed. These particulates contain lignans, a beneficial class of phytoestrogen, and the label is marked “high-lignan.” To check for rancidity, pour a tablespoon or two of flaxseed oil in a wine glass and hold it up to the light while tilting it slightly. If you notice haziness or a dark-brown or dark yellow color, you have rancid flaxseed oil. Rancid flaxseeds have a discolored, cracked, soft or otherwise damaged seed coats.

How to Know Whether Flaxseed Oil is Fresh or Rancid

Flax oil has a mild nuttiness like raw sunflower seeds or sesame seeds. Fresh flaxseed oil gives a ligtness when inhaled. To check the aroma of flaxseed oil, pour a few tablespoons in a wine glass, the shape makes a the aroma more perceivable. Put your nose in the wineglass and inhale deeply. Rancid flaxseed oil has a burnt and bitter odor. A smell similar to used frying oil. Any smell that deviates from nutty and leans toward bitter or burned indicates rancidity.

Fresh flaxseed tastes like it smells—clean, crisp and mildly nutty. To taste flaxseed oil to check for rancidity, coat the back of a spoon with the oil and let the excess drip off. Rub the back of the spoon over your tongue, making sure it touches the entire surface, and rub your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Or, if testing flaxseeds, chew a few and check for a burnt or bitter flavor.

Stores flaxseed oil and capsules in dark containers to minimize contact with light. Store the containers in the refrigerator or a dark cupboard. Grind flaxseeds as needed; ground flaxseeds start to oxidize as soon as you grind them. Flaxseed has a shelf life of one year when stored in a dark container. Never cook flax or store it above room temperature.

Flax Seeds

Benefits of Fiber and Omega-3″s in Flaxseed

Flax seeds contain 42 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates and 18 grams of protein for every 100 grams in weight. Today flaxseeds are considered a superfood, primarily due to three key elements.

Fiber

Omega 3-fats

Lignans.

Flaxseeds can be brown or golden. You can grind them in a coffee bean grinder. They can be used in soups, or steamed veggies and smoothies. You can find them in the bulk bins or refrigerated packages. Once brought home they should be refrigerated.

I’m Shirley Noah,I teach the 9 Pillars For Health.A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.

Nausea, especially morning sickness-Ginger oil helps promote proper digestion, and can be a great remedy for spasm, dyspepsia, indigestion, and flatulence. It can also increase your appetite, which is good for people who are trying to gain weight.

Food poisoning-Ginger oil’s antiseptic and carminative properties can help treat food poisoning, as well as intestinal infections and bacterial dysentery(chronic indigestion).

Respiratory issues-Ginger oil can help relieve and treat coughs, flu, asthma, breathlessness, and bronchitis. Fresh ginger can actually remove mucus from the throat and lungs, and is commonly added to tea for its soothing effects.

Heart ailments-Using ginger oil regularly can reduce your risk of blood clots and arteriosclerosis, as well as help decrease bad cholesterol levels in your blood.

Chronic disease-Research in the journal of Nutrition suggests that a daily intake of 2 to 4 grams of ginger may help prevent chronic diseases.

What Is Ginger Oil?

Ginger oil comes from ginger root (Zingiber officinale), a pungent, gnarled ground rhizome. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae plant family. It is a perennial herb that grows three to four foot high with narrow spear-shaped leaves, white or yellow flowers and small tuberous rhizomes with a thick or thin brown skin.

Ginger Root

Ginger has been valued for thousands of years for its medicinal and culinary properties, especially in ancient Chinese, Indian and Greek cultures.

Uses of Ginger Oil

When used topically, ginger oil can help relieve aches and pain as well as promote blood circulation.

Aromatherapists also use ginger for it’s soothing and warming properties to help alleviate digestive problems.

Apply two to three drops in a diffuser, or on a cotton ball and inhale. This will help revitalize your body, mind and soul.

Mix tow to three drops in an ounce of carrier oil, and use as a massage oil. This helps relieve backache, arthritis, muscle pain and stimulate our circulatory system.

Inhale by diffuser or vaporizer to relieve sinusitis, sore throat, and runny nose. It can also work as a decongestant.

How to Make Ginger Oil

You can make you own ginger oil diffusion at home.

Ingredients:

Fresh ginger, 1 1/2 cups olive oil, Oven-safe bowl, cheese grater.

Procedure:

Rinse a cup of fresh ginger, including the skin, and let dry for a few hours. Pour the olive oil in an oven-safe bowl. Chop the ginger and the shred with cheese grater. Add to the olive oil and mix well. Put the mixture in the oven on low heat (150 degrees) for at least 2 hours. Pour the mixture through unbleached cheese cloth and filter the ginger bits out. Transfer the ginger oil into clean bottles and store in a cool dry place. The infusion will last up to six months.

Ginger is one of the very few “superfoods” that is actually worthy of the term.

I’m Shirley Noah, I teach the 9 Pillars For Health. A step-by-step approach to good health. Let’s connect to see how I may best serve you in the near future.